


Of Clerics and Clinics

by stardreamer



Category: The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison
Genre: Future Fic, Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-05
Updated: 2016-05-05
Packaged: 2018-06-06 12:44:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6754291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stardreamer/pseuds/stardreamer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If he had not ordered a doctor to tend to Nemer, Nemer might have had no doctor at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Clerics and Clinics

What with the chaos of the first few months of his reign, followed by preparations for a wedding, the wedding itself, and then getting used to the vicissitudes of married life, it was nearly back around to the anniversary of the attempted coup before Maia recalled certain thoughts which had occurred to him at the time. "Csevet," he said one morning, "would you please inform Merrem Esaran that we would like to consult with her after dinner this evening?" 

"Certainly, Serenity," Csevet said, and made a note. 

Merrem Esaran duly presented herself once dinner was over and the food had been cleared away. While Maia knew that she would never feel the same way about him that she had about his father, he fancied that over the course of the past year her opinion of him had mellowed somewhat. Certainly she had donned her best livery for a formal consultation with the emperor, although she still wore no jewelry of any kind. 

"Serenity," she said. "Is everything well?" 

"Very well with us, yes," he responded. "What we would like to discuss with you is a matter concerning the welfare of our servants. How frequent an occurrence is it that they must do without medical care because treatment is too expensive or otherwise unavailable?" 

Merrem Esaran looked faintly offended, as she often did when Maia said anything that showed he took notice of the servants at all. However, she answered readily enough. "More frequent than we would like, Serenity, especially during the winter months. While it is true that many ailments are minor and can be treated with herbs and rest, some are not. And accidents do occur, some of them quite severe. Two years ago there was a stableman who was kicked in the stomach by a panicked horse - he died on the way to the charity hospital. And the year before Your Serenity came there was a particularly bad round of the winter-fever; even some of the nobles had it, although of course they could see the Court doctors. And the Guard has their own infirmary and their own healers, but they do not like treating servants. The main servants' hall was almost an infirmary itself for nearly a month, and not everyone who was ill recovered." She frowned, her eyes distant and sad. 

"This pleases us not," said Maia. "The people who serve us here in the Alcethmeret are, in a manner of speaking, part of our household, and it behooves us to see that they have proper care. Is there, somewhere in the servants' area, a set of rooms which could be cleared out and put to use as a formal infirmary?" 

He had managed, once again, to startle her; her ears jerked back before she got them under control. "Serenity," she said after a moment's thought, "We believe that there are some storerooms, currently used only to hold things that someone might possibly need someday, which could be used for the purpose. But it would be most irregular." 

"And when has 'irregular' ever bothered Edrehasivar?" put in Csethiro, her face alight with the expression Maia had learned to translate as _taking in a new concept and expanding on it_. "Serenity, this is a wonderful idea, and one that we are amazed has not been enacted long since! One would think that the desire not to have to deal with the inconvenience of ill or injured servants would have been enough." 

_Most of the nobility does not even notice the servants, especially not as people,_ Maia thought - but this was not the time to pursue that line of discussion. Instead, he turned to Kiru Athmaza. "How difficult would it be to find some clerics of Csaivo who would be willing to serve here?" he asked. "We think that four would be sufficient, so that they could trade off shifts as the nocheharei do." 

Kiru returned his gaze thoughtfully. "We can think of that many ourselves, were it not that the hospitals are so busy already. Give us some time to inquire, Serenity; it is likely that some rearrangement of assignments can be made, or more clerics summoned from other areas." 

"Serenity?" said Merrem Esaran, more tentatively than was her wont. "You do realize that if you do this, there will also be be servants of the outer Court, not among the staff of the Alcethmeret, who will desire services? For it will be much closer and more convenient for them than going out into the city to a healer or hospital." 

"Is there a problem with that?" Maia asked. "We certainly have no objection." 

Merrem Esaran pursed her mouth and looked into the middle distance and slightly upward, as one does who is mentally rearranging furniture. "Perhaps not," she said. "The rooms we are thinking of are quite near the servants' entrance, so it would not be as though people not employed here would be traipsing through the halls." 

Telimezh cleared his throat. "Serenity, that still brings up a security issue," he said. "There would need to be a guard stationed at the door, to make sure that those who have come in for treatment do not wander further inside afterwards." He looked over at Merrem Esaran. "Or perhaps it would be easier to simply block off the hallway beyond the door. Would that work?" 

"Not well," she responded. "A door-guard would be simpler. On the other hand, we would then have to take some thought for a way to distinguish those who are coming in for treatment from the staff of the Alcethmeret. It might be better to arrange that services would only be available to those from the outer Court at certain times, during which we could _temporarily_ block the inner hallway." 

"A gate, with a lock," Csevet said. "This could be arranged." 

He had been busily taking notes of the discussion, as if it were a meeting of the Corazhas. Maia thought to himself that in fact it was very similar. These people - Csevet, Csethiro, his nohecharei, Merrem Esaran, even his edocharei and little Isheian - were his own private and personal advisors, as the Corazhas were his political advisors. The phrase _michen-Corazhas_ flitted through his thoughts, and he did not find it unfitting. 

"We would like to see an exception made to that policy in cases of emergency," Maia said, and Csethiro and Kiru both nodded in agreement. Csevet made a note.

"There is one more thing, Serenity," Csevet said. "How do you propose to pay for this? The Corazhas will certainly argue most strenuously against using tax monies for it." 

"The primary purpose of this service is to ensure the health and welfare of our servants," Maia answered. "The money should come from the budget of the Alcethmeret - but if that is not feasible, it can come out of our personal budget. It is not as though we make a great deal of use of it, after all." He paused. "Furthermore... we do not intend to inform the Corazhas about this project. Or at least, not until it has been in operation for quite a while. Let it go from 'no one has ever heard of such a thing' to 'things have always been this way' with nothing in between." 

There was a general rustle of approval around the room, and Csevet said, "Serenity, we think that is an excellent idea." 

"So," Maia summed up, "Merrem Esaran will have the rooms cleared and prepared; Kiru will see about finding clerics to staff them; Csevet will arrange for a gate, for the security issue, with advice from Telimezh and Beshelar if necessary. We would like to see this project in working order by Winternight, if that is possible." 

"We believe that it is quite achievable, Serenity," Csevet said. "It will be much easier, after all, than making the arrangements for a state visit from the Great Avar." Everyone smiled at that, and Csethiro stifled something perilously close to a giggle. 

"As we have spoken, so will it be," said Edrehasivar VII.

**Author's Note:**

> This seems to be the sort of thing that Maia would think about, once he had some time to breathe, and decide to take steps to correct.


End file.
